Electronic cigarettes have gained popularity in the past 10 years as a discreet and less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes. E-cigarette sales amount to more than $3 billion in the United States and the market share continues to grow. While the device gained ground in the early 2000s, the first notion of an electric vaporizer was documented nearly 100 years ago.
With this long history of experimentation for novel tobacco products and a fiercely competitive market, tobacco companies must rigorously assert their innovations. IMS recently assisted a client with their expert witness needs for an intellectual property dispute involving e-cigarettes.
Primary Case Issue
Our client represented a tobacco company seeking to assert and enforce patent rights against a competitor. They needed an expert to address validity and infringement through expert reports, deposition, and trial testimony.
Expert Witness Requirements
- Engineer with 15 or more years of experience in the design of nicotine-delivery products
- Familiarity with different types of electronic cigarettes
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or a relevant field
Expert Witness Search
An IMS researcher identified 23 engineers with industry experience researching and designing nicotine products. Our client approved outreach to 16 of the expert candidates, and an IMS recruiter worked to clear conflicts and vet their credentials and experience. We narrowed the list to two highly qualified expert candidates who each had more than 20 years of experience developing consumer goods, including tobacco-based products.
Expert Witness Placement
The expert our client selected was an engineer with 17 years of international experience designing and manufacturing nicotine-delivery products. They had an advanced degree in mechanical engineering and considerable expert witness experience.
Case Results
The court found in favor of our client, and the patent rights were enforced.
IMS knows the subject matter authorities across every industry and discipline. No matter your specific needs, IMS will locate and deliver the best-aligned expert witness.
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